beings



(No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 1..

H. BRINGS.

GYGLB.

No. 571,298. Patented Nov. 10, 1896.

Jazzy (No Model.) 2 Shahets-Sheet 12.

H. BRINGS. CYCLE.

Patented Nov. 10, 1896.

:UNITED STATES PATENT Crricn.

i HANS BRINGS, OF COLOGNE, GERMANY.

CYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,298, dated November 10, 1896.

Application filed August 5,1895.

To @ZZ 'Lu/'tom t 77u55/ concern.-

Be it known that I, HANS BRINGs, a subject of the King of Prussia, Emperor of Germany', and a resident of Cologne, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cycles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention consists of a device in connection with cycles by means of which it is possible to vary the gearing of the cycle for instance, when riding uphill and to throw the treadles out of gear with the driving-wheel when running downhill. For uphill work the driving-chain wheel is thrown out of engagement with the treadles direct, and the latter geared to an intermediate mechanism by means of which the number of revolutions of the cranks are increased with regard to those of the driving-chain wheel; and in order to make the present invention more easily intelligible reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a longitudinal section through the crankaxle of a bicycle; Fig. 2, a transverse section on the line `y of Fig. l, and Figs. 3 to S details of construction severally referred to in the course of the specification.

A is the crank-axle, having attached thereto at a and a2 the cranks E and Dis the casing inclosing the mechanism hereinafter described 4and having the usual sockets B B B2 for the frame of the machine C C C2. The crank-axle A is mounted in ball-bearings at 7c, 7s', and 7a2, said balls 7a being-supported at the end a between a cupring G, screwed into the end of the casing D, and a flange of a sleeve F, hereinafter described, the balls 71: between a collar Z) on the axle A and an interior cup-shaped depression in the end of the said part F, while the balls b2 at the opposite end of the axle are held between an annular cup-shaped depression of a collar g, screwed onto the end of the axle at c and retained bya lock-nut 7L, and a similar annular recess formed in the end of the casing D at f.

The sleeve F is loosely mounted on the axle A and has screwed onto its end e the driving-gear H of the cycle. Loosely mounted on the said sleeve F is one half N of a coup- Serial No. 558,277. (No model.)

ling-clutch (see also Figs. G and 7) carrying a series of teeth laterally and capable of be= ing locked to the said sleeve F by means of a spring 0, attached to the part N at fr, Fig. 2, extending around the saine and adapted to engage with its pin fw with an opening in the sleeve F and couple the latter to the clutch N, as shown in Fig. 2. The disengagement of the coupling-spring 0 w is effected by means of a cam-disk P, Figs.- l and 3, extending around the sleeve part of the clutch N and having an upper horizontal bolt Q, guided in the casing D, extending out of the latter at its farther end to engage one arm of an angle or bell-crank lever S, pivotally mounted in the machine-frame and operated by a springpressed rod R, as indicated in Fig. 8, to move the said cam l backward and forward within certain limits on the sleeve of the clutch N. In the position shown in Figs. l and 2 the cam is out of engagement with the spring 0 and the parts are coupled. On raising the rod R the cam will contact with the spring 0 at the opposite side to the pin w and push the latter out of engagement with the sleeve F. When this has been effected, the treadles are out of engagement with the driving-gear ll and the same may be retained stationary, as desired, when running downhill.

The variation of the proportion of the gearing of the treadles with the drivin g-gear His effected by the following mechanism: Keyed onto the axle A is the opposite half of the coupling-clutch J, Fig. 5, which is enlarged at m and provided with a series of guideholes q q, (inthe drawings seven,) which serve to guide horizontally-movable pins M, Figs. 1 and 4. These pins are pointed at their projecting ends to correspond to the notches of the clutch N and are guided at their rear ends in a cam-sleeve K, (shown in detail at Fig. 4,) said cam-sleeve having an interior cam-groove p formed therein, said groove being bounded at the opposite side by a ring L, fixed by means of a screw C or other suitable device within the said sleeve N. The camsleeve K is capable of rotation on the sleeve part of the clutch J, the latter having a screwthread Z at its rear for the reception of a disk having a groove for ball-bearings, which rest against the rear end of the said cam disk and prevent the latter from moving longi- ICO tudinally on the clutch J. Each pin M is seated on a ball 7c3, being provided at its rear end with a depression into which the said ball extends and being notched at t, so as to leave a rearwardly-extendin g butt 2V, Fig. 6, which engages the interior cam-groove p. The groove p is waved or provided with abend p, which is so arranged that when the butt-end of a pin M is in this bend the point of the said pin will be in engagement with the corresponding notch of the clutch N.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that if the cam-sleeve K is rigid on the sleeve J one pin M only will remain at the bend, and will consequently be in engagement with a tooth of the clutch N, which latter will then be coupled to the sleeve J. Consequently if the spring w is in engagement with the sleeve F the treadle-cranks will, rotate the driving-wheel II in the ordinary manner. If, however, the cam-sleeve is disengaged from the sleeve J and held stationary by suitable means, the pins M will be brought successively into the bend p' of the cam-groove p and successively engage the clutch N, moving the same a short dis` If now the clutch N is protance each time. vided, as shown in the drawings, with nine teeth, and there are only seven pins M, itl

will be evident that each turn of the crank, and consequently of the sleeve J, will only rotate the clutch N, and with it sleeve F and drivin g-wheel I-I, seven-ninths of a revolution,

and thus the gearing may be varied. The gearing may be varied in any other way by simply varying the number of pins Morteeth ot' the clutch N. The cam-sleeve K is held stationary by sinking the rod R still lower, when its lower end will engage a recess j in the cam-sleeve K and retain the same stationary.

Briefly recapitulated, the rod R has three functions. In its highest position the cam I will engage the spring n and disconnect the sleeve F from the clutch N, so that the treadle-cranks will be thrown out of gear with the driving-wheel I'I. On ymoving the rod half-way down the clutchN will belocked to the sleeve F, and the crank will actuate the driving-wheel in `the ordinary manner, and on adjusting the rod in its lowest position its lower end will'engage the depression of the cam-sleeve K and arrest the same, thus varying the gearing of the crank-shaft and driving-wheel, as'specilied.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a crank-axle suitably mounted, a sleeve J keyed thereto and having mounted therein longitudinally-movable pins with V-sliaped ends, a cam-sleeve detachably mounted on said sleeve J to operate said pin-butts, a sleeve F loose on said crank-axle, a clutch Nloose on said sleeveF and having teeth to engage with said pins, a driving-chain wheel mounted on said sleeve F, means for coupling theclutch N and sleeve,

Itially as described.

and means for arresting at times the said camsleeve substantially as described.

2. The combination of a crank-axle A, having affixed around it a series of longitudinallymovable pins M having V-shaped ends, a camsleeve loosely mounted on said axle and engaging the butt-ends of said pins, as specified, clutch having correspondingly-shaped teeth to engage the projected end of said pins, a sleeve F loosely mounted on said axle and having driving-wheel I-I and suitable oriiice, a spring-pressed pin w to enter said orilice, said pin being spring-mounted on the said clutch N, means to operate said pin, and means to retain the cam-sleeve stationary at will, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a crank-axle A, having affixed-around it a series of longitudinallymovable pins M having V-shaped en ds, a camsleeve loosely mounted on said axle and engaging the butt-en ds of said pins, as speci-iied, means to retain said cam-sleeve stationary, a clutch having correspondingly-shaped teeth to engage the projected end of said pins, a sleeve F loosely mounted on said axle and having driving-wheel II; an orifice in said sleeve and a spring-pressed pin on the clutch, toengage said oriice, 'a cani-disk p to operate said pin, and means to move said cam-disk longitudinally on said sleeve F substantially as described.

4. 'Ihe combination of a crank-axle A having'aftixed around it a series of longitudinallymovable pins M having V-shaped ends, a camsleeve loosely mounted on said axle and engaging the butt-ends of said pins, as specified, a clutch `having correspondingly-shaped teeth to engage the projected end of said pins, a sleeve F loosely mounted on said axle and having driving-wheel H, means for coupling said clutch and sleeve, an orifice j on the camsleeve K and a vertically-movable springpressed rod R to engage said orifice substan- 5. The combination of a crank-axle A having affixed around ita series of longitudinallymovable pins M having V-shaped ends, acamsleeve loosely mounted on said axle and engaging the butt-ends of said pins, as specified, a clutch having Correspondingly-shaped teeth to engage the projected end of said pins, a sleeve F loosely mounted on said axle and having drivin g-wheel II, means Vfor coupling said clutch and sleeve, an oriiice j on the camsleeve K and a vertically-movable springpressed rod R to engage said orifice, a bellcrank lever s connected to said rod and to the cam-disk P in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HANS BRINGS. lVitnesses:

FRITZ SCHRDER, SOPHIE NAGRL.

IOO

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